Friday Featured Giveaway: Great Piggy Bank Adventure Flip Cam

Just yesterday I wrote an email to a new work colleague who is leaving early next week to visit Walt Disney World with his family. He wanted to know which rides and experiences should make it onto his “not to miss” list. I placed the Innoventions pavilions at EPCOT at the top of my hidden treasures recommendation, and pointed out that while they are often overlooked, they remain favorites to both of my children. Each building features a series of exhibits and activities sponsored by a variety of companies, each with a different theme. It is a place for kids to learn about everything from fire safety to recycling, all while having a blast in cool, air-conditioned buildings.

One of the exhibits at Innoventions West is The Great Piggy Bank Adventure®. This online game and interactive experience (which is so much fun that there’s always a short wait!) helps parents talk to their kids about money and good financial habits. T. Rowe Price conducted the Parents, Kids and Money survey and created what they call the Ease of Conversation scale. They found that parents find it more difficult to talk to their children about family finances and investing than dating, drugs, smoking, or alcohol. Given the current state of the economy and the number of people struggling to rebuild after making unwise financial decisions, it seems that now is a great time to help parents become more comfortable discussing finances with their children.

Giveaway

One Resourceful Mommy reader will receive a 4GB Ultra HD Flip video camera! To enter to win, please answer the following question in comments. It’s that easy!

– Why do you think it is easier for parents to talk about drugs and smoking than family finances with their kids?

This giveaway ends Friday, September 16th at 11:59 p.m. ET and is open to residents of the U.S. and Canada age 18+. Good luck!

Disclosure: A gift card and the Great Piggy Bank Adventure-branded Flip camera have been provided courtesy of T. Rowe Price. T. Rowe Price is not involved in or responsible for the outcome of this giveaway. In other words, if you receive your Flip camera a little later than expected, it’s totally my fault. Also, all opinions are my own as always.

Friday Giveaway Linky

If you are currently hosting a giveaway on your blog and would like to invite other Resourceful Mommy readers to enter, please list the link below. Thanks!

Comments

I think there are many resources out there for talking about smoking and drugs and they are supported by in-school programs, too, so the burden isn’t on the parents,

but for finances, there’s virtually nothing in school about that. Also, even if there are specific steps to follow, most people (according to the recent Merril Lynch seminar I attended) aren’t able to implement them.

How do you tell your kid – do this or do that financially, but oh, Mom and Dad don’t do any of that?

It’s not so easy to instantly have the financial wherewithal to implement a retirement/savings package. Especially in this economy. Most families are living hand to mouth, aware that at any time, they may be unemployed. Many families are one paycheck away from homeless.

It’s easier to say ‘don’t drink or don’t smoke’ as it’s obviously better for your health, and the other usual reasons, then to make money appear out of nowhere.

I think there’s more of a sense of secrecy about finances. A family that doesn’t smoke or do drugs feels no need to beat around the bush about the negative aspects of doing drugs – but every family deals with finances, there runs the risk of the kid informing everyone in their class at school what Mommy and Daddy make. Our society considers it rude to ask what someone’s salary is, and whether you consider that valid or not, it has become intensely private even to the point of parents feeling the need to keep it from children.

As an ex smoker its easy to preach and tell the children not to smoke and how bad it is. As for finances you don’t want your children to worry about money or whats going to happen. Children need stability and not to worry if they will have food on the table or a roof over their head.

i think it’s easier because telling your kids about alcohol and drugs lets them know all the negativity that comes with those bad habits, but letting them in on the finances can become a burden for kids when they need to be enjoying their childhood.

Family finances discussions may be challenging due to the fact we’re all faced with(just about) job insecurity. We’re this close from being in a fiscal mess resulting in missed house payments, late car payments, keeping up with increase of fuel, getting basic medical & groceries. The last thing a parent wants to do is create any type or sense of insecurity to their children or family so the topic is avoided. Drugs & alcohol are bad, just say no has been a hot topic of discussion for years so we are familiar with what to say…unlike the financial stuff.

Its so funny cause in our family we talk about drugs and alcohol all the time but when it comes to our finances.. we are mum.. I think we want to keep how much we make and spend private from our kids, while abuse of drugs is very much a topic we feel free to talk to them about.

We haven’t had to have either talk yet because our daughter is still very young. I do plan on talking to her about finances at an early age though because I want her to learn that you have to work to make money. I think maybe the drugs and alcohol talk is easier for some because those things are detrimental to the health of your child, while finances can affect your quality of life, but in a different way.Amanda recently posted..The Giveaway Event that Could Pay You to Participate!

I think it’s easier to discuss smoking or drugs with my teenager than to discuss finances because I am not directly responsible for teen drinking or smoking. I am largely responsible for our family’s financial situation and I worry he will feel disappointed or let down by me.

I also feel he will use any information against me. He is very motivated by money, and I do not know where he got that from. My daughter was not like that at all, but my son definitely is so that is tough.

I think it’s easier to talk about drugs and smoking because everyone KNOWS what the right answers are (don’t use ’em)! But there is a sense of secrecy whenever you discuss exactly how much money you make/have. You’re not supposed to talk about it, because your kids might go telling their friends exactly how mommy makes (and the friends might go telling their parents, etc.). I guess it’s just a sensitive topic.

I think that both topics would be hard but the first topic is an issue that everyone faces while growing up so children maybe able to relate better. Finances are hard to talk about because kids may not be able to grasp the topic entirely.

Drugs and all that stuff is very black and white, therefre easier to talk about. However, based on our families: hubby’s family overseas never had problems with money nor talking openly with all the kids, intimately involved in the famile biz and daily shopping from a very young age. However, here in the States m parents had problems with money and talking about it. Fortunately, hubby and I are extremely open with finance-talk, and happy they have their own kid biz to ground them even more.Ponn Sabra recently posted..American Muslim Mom Ramadan Worldwide Meetup Follow-up – A Post-9/11 Reality

I, personally, don’t think it’s easier to talk about drugs and smoking than family finances with my kids. Both topics are equally important. However, as my kids have grown older, I spend less time talking about drugs & smoking and more time talking about money. I’ve taught them how to comparison shop and how to find the best deals. I’ve also taught them that living within your means is something that everyone needs to do.

I think both topics drugs/smoking and family finances are equally important to discuss with our children starting at a very young age. Education on the negative effects of drugs/smoking is in the media and in school programs so I think parents feel more comfortable discussing it with their children. Perhaps some parents feel that children do not need to know about family finances believing that they’re too young to fully understand. I do not feel parents need to nor should they tell their kids everything about their personal finances but they do need to teach them the value of money, how to save for the future and how to spend wisely. I can remember when I was a child asking my parents to buy me things that I needed (this was usually after the bombardment of TV ads for toys) and they explained to me the big difference between what I truly “need” and what I just “want”.

I think it’s easier to talk about drugs and alcohol to our kids because it has been embedded in our minds from our parents as the same as that family finances are. Parents try to shield any financial burden from their kids so they won’t disrupt their innocent lives and it’s too complicated for them to understand.